You are a dog lover and you care so much for your dog. However, no matter how much you take care of them, you still cannot avoid the most annoying issue: FUR EVERYWHERE. Especially when you have kids or someone allergic to fur in your family. If you are facing that issue, this is the right guide for you to understand your dog hair loss and how to take care.
The most important thing you need to research is your Dog Breed. This will help you understand better about your dog like its growing cycles, it sheds more or less, its nutrition need, etc.
- How to know that your dog is healthy:
If your dog has these six signs, it means they are healthy:
- Fresh Breath: regular dental check-up is suggested to help spotting the issue on early stage.
- Shiny, thick and clean coat
- Lean weight consistency
- Regular toilet routine: a healthy dog should have transparent yellow pee; and poop with no sign of blood, mucus, worms, eggs, a chalky white discoloration, a black, tarry appearance, a greasy coating ordiarrhoea.
- Alert and engaging in family activities
- Free of odors and clean ears: healthy dog ears should be free from wax, discharge and musky smell.
2. Why your dog sheds:
First import thing: know your dog breed. This will give you helpful information whether your dog shed a lot is normal and common or not.
Secondly, keep an eye on your dog behavior. If your dog doesn't show any disturbing behaviors when losing hair, it is completely normal as this is part of its growing cycle. It usually happens once or twice a year. However, if your dog loses hair due to itching, licking, chewing, biting, rubbing, rolling then it is big concern. It's maybe a sign of alopecia (a.k.a. baldness).
According to Dr. Chris Reeder, there are 7 common reasons causing hair loss for your dog.
- Nutrition: no matter you feed your dog with commercial food or home cook, make sure it well-balanced and meet your dog need.
- Hormone: there are three common causes for hormonal hair loss: low thyroid, Cushing’s disease or atypical Cushing’s disease, and Hypothyroidism.
- Allergy: Food, flea and environmental allergies are three common types of allergies can spot on your dog. You can easily observe that your dog is really itchy and scratchy.
- Infection: caused by bacteria, yeast or ringworm, as know as fungal skin infection.
- Parasitic hair loss: caused by mange, involve with parasitic mites. Demodectic mange cannot be transmitted to human and sarcoptic mange can be transmitted to human; are two common types.
- Cancer: there are two common kinds of cancer cutaneous lymphoma and metastatic cancer a.k.a paraneoplastic. Both can be diagnosed by biopsy.
- Other causes:
- Sebaceous Adenitis: a skin disease causes by inflammatory, common in Poodles
- Seasonal Flank Alopecia: seasonal hair loss, commonly see in English bulldogs and sometimes in French bulldogs.
- Color Dilution Alopecia: abnormal genetic condition, commonly see in Silver Labs and Blue Dobermans
3. In which season, dogs shed hair the most.
Dogs hair usually falls when it becomes old and damaged. Most dogs tend to shed more during warmer months for body cooling and season transition periods to prepare themselves for the next season.
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Your dog breed also effects on which their shedding season is. For instance, Huskies and Labradors shed the most in Spring while Poodles and Maltese Dogs shed all year round.
4. How to take care of your dog during shedding season:
These following dog-fur care tips could be your lifesaver to avoid fur everywhere
- Brush your dog daily: this is the best and primitive tip to keep your home clean. Daily routine brush helps removing and controlling your dog excessive fallen hair spreading around your home.
- Take your dog out frequently: it will help your dog aware of season changing and adapt. Expose your dog to the sun and weather frequently also boost shedding process.
- Spray or feed your dog coconut oil: coconut oil has been proven in reducing hair fall effectively for human for centuries, so does dog fur. Mix a tablespoon of coconut oil with water an spray it on your dog hair. You can also feed your dog coconut oil, little bit at a time for your dog to use to the taste.
- Use good anti-shedding shampoo: regular wash for your dog during high shedding season is recommended. Additionally, remember to brush your dog fur well before starting washing your dog. Shampoo that is free from parabens, dyes and artificial colors but rich in fatty acids is highly suggested by Veterinary doctors.
- Well-balanced diets with extra fatty acids: Dogs are also same like us, they need healthy and well-balanced food to maintain good health. Don't feed your dog left-over from your food as it may cause health problems and your dog will shed even more.
- Use special-made vacuum cleaner for pet hair: these vacuums are pretty affordable. They have extra rollers in front of main brush to suck up the dog hair with ease.
Recommended Pet Hair Remover Products:
- NadoCare Pet Hair Remover:
This is 3 IN 1 product: lint roller, lint remover, and pet hair roller. Nado Care Pet Hair Remover is designed as an ABS body with PP roller and nylon etiquette brush. It is affordable and easy to use, simply move it back and forth to remove fur. It is made from friendly material, 100% reusable and require no power to operate. This product effectively removes pet hair on most of surfaces like floors, sofas, carpets, clothes, car seats or even our beds in just 5 minutes. It is also easy to clean with wet soft towel or synthetic detergent.
HOW TO USE:
Step 1: move the Roller back and Forth
Step 2: open the lid covering the brush head
Step 3: Empty the gathered dust in the receptacle
Step 4: Use a soft towel that is soaked with water or synthetic detergent to clean the brush surface. Should not wash the brush surface directly with water.
2. Pet Grooming Gloves:
NadoCare Pet Grooming Gloves are helpful for not only grooming, shedding but also massaging and bathing your pets.
With enhanced 255 silicone grooming tips, mimics the touch of your hand for a soft and relaxing massage, these slip-on massage gloves will minimize all flying fur and help your dogs and cats improve blood circulation.
It is a multi-functional product with cheap price. It is perfect for all types of pet hair: long, short and curly. It can be cleaned easily with damped cloths after each use. It's machine washable, too.
HOW TO USE:
- For hair removal: Frequently brush your dog hair with Nado Care Grooming Gloves and gently groom your pet hair.
- Bathing time: using these gloves during bathing time will give your dog gentle massage. Additionally, five-finger design allows you to reach hard to groom places like tails and face.
- Pet skin and coat care: these slip-on grooming gloves are gentle and flexible. They help improving your dog soft and radiant coat by stimulating healthy oils on its skin.
- House cleaning tool: this grooming gloves help to reduce excessive hair on furniture, clothes or in car
3. Pet Dematting Comb – Grooming Brush Tool
Pet Dematting Comb is handy and effective. It is safe and durable, and suitable for all hairy pets. It can groom and massage your dog at the same time. It is also proven to be an effective brush because it can go through thickest hair to remove dead and knotted hair without hurting your dog. And the best about this dematting comb is 30 days money back policy and 6 months warranty.
HOW TO USE:
Gently brush your dog hair along hair growth direction in carding order: neck to shoulder, and then to chest, waist, abdomen, abdomen, rear quarters, and then to the head, the last is legs and tail twice daily for 5 minutes. For long hair dogs, brush by layer.
Final thoughts,
Taking care of pet is hassle and not easy work, sometimes require skills and knowledge, and very expensive for sure. However, keeping a four-leg friend at home is the most wonderful and enjoyable thing to do. Finally, always follow instructions given by your Vet to keep your dog healthy.